


A Ready Mind

by orphan_account



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Friendship, Gen, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 22:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7379443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Feuilly's first day on the job, and he finds a friend in time of need.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Ready Mind

A Ready Mind

Feuilly’s having a panic attack. He hasn’t had one since his fifth year at Hogwarts, having finally sorted out his schedule and discussed the best potions for his anxiety with Madame Abbott. Now, here he is, first day as official Auror and he’s hidden himself under his cramped desk in hopes of not being seen and found to be coward and thus let go.

He wants to help people, so badly, and right now he can’t manage to help himself. Closing his, he takes a deep breath and tries to remember all of the coping techniques he has been learned over the years. When that doesn’t appear to be working, he squeezes his eyes even more tightly and tries to fight the tears from leaking out.

“Can I help you? Are you okay?”

Feuilly startles so badly that he slams his head into the bottom of his desk. Embarrassed and in some pain, he shakes his head furiously. He can feel himself turning red.

“No I cannot help you or no you aren’t okay?”

Feuilly had meant the former, but he so desperately wants to admit to the latter. And after a moment’s hesitation, he admitted as much.

 

“Well alright then, should be um . . . both be under the desk for this or are you okay with crawling out? I’m rather small, it’d be a tight squeeze but I think we’d manage.”

Feuilly blinks, of all the reactions he had been expecting- that had not been one.

“I’ll um, I’ll come out.”

He does, slowly and uncomfortably because he realizes that he’s still shaking. The smaller man offers him a much needed hand to pull him up. Dusting himself off, Feuilly freezes when he recognizes the man helping him as an elder classmate from Hogwarts. He wishes he still had his time turner because he so badly needs to go back in time and change every decision he has ever made.

Though they shared a house, Feuilly was a few years younger and mostly kept to himself and his studies. Joly was just as studious but quite a bit more gregarious. He probably knew way too many people to remember such an unremarkable face, Feuilly hopes.

“Feuilly right? We were both in the same house!”

Joly says this proudly, and even shows off the Ravenclaw pin on his lapel. Feuilly’s stomach drops and he feels himself nearly doing the same. Joly recognizes this, the smile disappearing from his face and guides him into a chair.

“Right, you’re embarrassed and me pointing out that I know you probably wasn’t the best idea. Bad move on my part.”

Feuilly doesn’t want to nod because that seems rude, but he isn’t wrong. Well minus the bad move on his part, because how was he to know that? Joly keeps his hand on his shoulder, an anchor Feuilly didn’t realize he needed, as he pulls up a chair beside him.

Joly’s presence beside him is calm and steady which makes Feuilly feel all the more ridiculous as his panic slowly begins to subside. 

“Would you like to talk about it?”

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about. I don’t even know what started it. I got my desk assignment, started setting my things up, looked around and panicked.”

“A new job is stressful, makes sense.”

Feuilly shakes his head, he knows that’s not it but doesn’t want to talk more for fear of discovering what is really is.

“Alright,” Joly says as he claps his arm. “How about we get out from under this desk? Maybe go to lunch or something. I was supposed to meet Bossuet but apparently there was some sort of emergency so our timing is perfect.”

Feuilly still has to organize his desk and finish his initial paperwork, but he really doesn’t want to be alone right now.

“That sounds lovely.”

Joly smiles, wide and bright and confident. Feuilly finds himself smiling back, and following Joly out from under the desk.

A few month later finds Feuilly, hunched over the same exact desk. His eyes are drooping but he knows he cannot go to sleep. He still has so much to do. He reaches for the bottle Awakening Potion the brilliant and equally new Marius brewed for him, only to have his hand smacked down.

“None of that kiddo, Joly finds out you’re working overnight he’ll curse us both into oblivion.” 

Feuilly turns to find Bossuet smiling down at him.

“Tonight is Jehan’s surprise birthday dinner, besides.”

“I thought that was next weekend?”

“That’s because we told you it was because you can’t lie and Jehan would go for the weak links.”

Feuilly wants to protest that he is an Auror and plenty capable of keeping a secret when needed but past anecdotal evidence would make any such protest null and void. He gets up, not even bothering to add another detail to his report. It can wait until another day.

Until then, he follows his friend.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really want more Feuilly & Joly friendship. More Feuilly in general really.


End file.
